In Kiper’s view, Pats get it right

Few know the NFL Draft better thanMel Kiper Jr., or at least think they do.

Kiper has researched and written draft books since the late 1970s, when everyone except his bankrolling father thought he was wasting his time, and this weekend will be the 24th NFL Draft he’ll analyze for ESPN.

So, in Kiper’s opinion, which NFL team’s front office is the best at drafting?

Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli of the New England Patriots, of course.

“They’re phenomenal,” Kiper said yesterday. “Everybody has their misses here and there, but Scott knows how to bring in players for their system. He knows who fits them. A lot of these guys wouldn’t fit other teams very well, but they fit the Patriots. The bottom line is they know how to put a roster together.”

Drafting the best player available or to fill a position is dilemma every team faces. Former Titans general manager Floyd Reese, who will analyze the draft for ESPNEWS, thinks it’s an easy choice.

“The worst picks I ever made were when I tried to fill a need,” he said.

With the 24th and 28th picks in the first round on Saturday, the Patriots might trade up, but if they stand pat, Kiper’s updated mock draft has them selecting Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny and Texas safety Michael Griffin.

Posluszny wasn’t the same player for much of last fall after tearing two ligaments in his right knee during the Orange Bowl as a junior, but the tears didn’t require surgery and the hope is he’ll regain his old form in time.

“Posluszny, I always thought,” Kiper said, “was a Bill Belichick kind of player — smart, instinctive, versatile, a guy who brings a tremendous work ethic, studies the game, passionate about the game of football.”

At 238 pounds and not quite 6-foot-2, Posluszny could complement another undersized linebacker, Tedy Bruschi.

“Michael Griffin,” Kiper said, “is a hard hitting, aggressive, rough, tough safety whose cover skills are better than people think. Early in his career, I thought he was a hitter and a striker like Ronnie Lott was at USC. He leveled off a little bit late in his career, but he’s overall a guy who I think surprised people with how athletic he was in the fluidity in his hips and turning motion to say he can be a decent cover guy at the pro level when they thought that would be a major liability.”

Todd McShay, director of college football scouting for Scouts Inc. and another ESPNEWS analyst, picks the Pats to take Florida safety Reggie Nelson 24th and Miami linebacker Jon Beason 28th. Kiper had Nelson going to the Patriots at 24 a month ago, but to Jacksonville at 17 now.

“He’s a playmaking safety,” Kiper said. “He’s kind of got a little bit of Ed Reed in him in terms of being at the right place at the right time.”

The last thing ESPN needed to add to its lengthy NFL Draft coverage was another star player who rambled on, but said nothing.

So ESPN hired Keyshawn Johnson. The Carolina Panthers star receiver talks, but says a lot, and he doesn’t care if his comments tick anyone off.

In past years, ESPN added several current NFL players to its draft coverage. Johnson will be the only one this year while ESPN and ESPN2 provide 18 hours of live coverage Saturday and Sunday.

Johnson isn’t worried about losing track of time during the long draft.

“I look at it like I’m in Vegas,” he said. “There’s no clocks in Vegas.”

Johnson plans to follow the lead of such NFL Draft regulars as Kiper and Chris Mortensen.

“When they stretch, I stretch,” he said.

Jay Rothman, who has produced ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage since 1995, first thought of hiring Johnson when ESPN aired one of his Carolina games against Tampa on Monday Night Football. Later in the season, Rothman approached Johnson before a MNF game in Philadelphia.

“Before he went back in the tunnel,” Rothman said, “I told him I had eight cameras on him all game long so he’d better score a touchdown and he did.”

That sold Rothman on hiring Johnson.

This will be ESPN’s 28th year of televising the NFL Draft and the NFL Network’s second year. The NFL Network will provide 19 hours of live coverage, an hour more than ESPN and ESPN2.

“With all due respect,” Rothman said, “last year was the first year we had competition from the NFL Network and we had record ratings and record viewership so I’m not concerned.”

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